Somewhat random topic

I am moving to taiwan in 2 months (going to the prc for the time till then a week from now) and I was wondering about a random topic I read about in “culture shock: taiwan” it said something about westerner body size being intimidating to taiwanese or soemthing. how big is the average taiwanese…as a 175 lb 6 foot tall white dude, am I going to stick out like a frickin sore thumb? I am assuming so…is this a negative or a plus with the xiaojies, with business, with making friends etc…just wondering

funny article incidentally about body size

cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/06 … index.html
those euro’s are fat just like americans!! muahahha! I knew that wiener schnitzel would catch uup with them!!!

Well, I think many xiaojies are very interested in tall men. I had one girl once tell me in all seriousness that she hoped to marry a foreign man because they are tall and she is short so when they had a baby this would improve the genes. Another girl, when I asked here what kind of men she liked simply replied tall. Again the reason was similar. I am short so I want a man who is tall. Handsome, kind, intelligent or any other qualities? No, she just wanted someone tall.

[quote=“Zhonguoman”]funny article incidentally about body size

CNN.com/2003/WORLD/Europe/06 … index.html
those euro’s are fat just like Americans!! muahahha! I knew that wiener schnitzel would catch uup with them!!![/quote]
Wow. That article forces a change in the ethnicity of the old joke:

What’s the difference between an elephant and a Greek mother-in-law?

Fifty pounds and a black dress.

used to be Italian. :slight_smile:

Makes a refreshing change from someone with money.

I’m tall (190 cm) and work out regularly (weigh about 98 kg right now), and I don’t have any trouble, but I also enjoy people and am generally pretty nice. I think it has a lot to do with your personality. I think my size intimidates some people, but once I start joking with them, they feel at ease.

I think you’ll be viewed as a tall fellow, but not overly large.

I am about 6ft and 230lb, and I have had no problems making friends or meeting women during my time here in Taiwan. Really depends on her interests. Some ladies like tall and thin, some like bigger guys. I have been openly praised and criticized for my physical size, from “I feel very safe and warm with you” to “you’re fat, have you thought about going on a diet?” Again, all depends on the lady.

I find that I get more questions about my job and salary than other topics. Also, speaking Chinese is a big plus, and will overcome other “negatives” you might have. I agree with Tomas too, having a personality and being able to let them feel comfortable and letting them laugh goes a long way. I think these qualities will help you go from average to “he’s special” very quickly.

Also, really depends on where you meet them at. If you go to some of the late night meat markets expect to be judged more on your looks. But if you meet people under more normal circumstances than speaking Chinese and being able to carry on a conversation goes a long way. Also, I have found that several ladies simply liked the fact that I treated them with politeness and courtesy, and was not reeking of the “hunt.”

Some Taiwanese women, even though they like Western guys, don’t want to feel like they are being hunted or are the next conquest on your Asian tour. Also, try to meet women that have friends, and focus on being friends with all the ladies. You will find that very quickly you have a lot of friends, and they start to like and trust you. I have been adopted by groups of ladies on several occasions and taken to other bars, early morning breakfast (3am) or to KTV with them, and it was a lot of fun. That’s when they start bringing along new friends of theirs that are interested in foreigners and you get the chance to meet some very nice ladies that you would feel comfortable taking home to meet the parents.

That is a good post FEI. I agree with his advice completely. Youll have no problem meeting people if you are sincere about meeting them.

you know whats funny, all the asian chicks I have met in california that were super forward and seemed into it were taiwanese…I dont know if this is a coincidence but it seems unlikely as california’s asian population is predominately cantonese/korean…is there some taiwan preocupation with waiguo dudes

I wouldnt really say so. I believe that taiwanese/chinese people are more friendly and humble in general. It is from my experience that koreans and others (especially koreans) are a lot more clickish and proud. Us chinese are generally a much more humble and accepting race. You will have some taiwanese here that are open to waiguo ren, and some not. It all depends on the individual person. Sounds like you are pretty concerned about meeting people in Taiwan. People here in Taiwan wont come flocking to you just because you are white. There are already plenty of white people in Taiwan. I wouldnt be too concerened though. Youll be fine, seems like you want to meet people. My guess is that you are already a social person, so you shouldnt worry so much. Take your time getting acquainted with Taiwan and be sincere and friendly. You will meet a lot of people.

Taipei ain’t all of Taiwan.